Preventing Dental Trauma
Most dental trauma is preventable. Young children should always be secured in appropriate car seats and seat belts should be worn. Child-proofing measures should be taken at home, especially for toddlers, to minimise tripping and slipping hazards. These may include placing gates across stairs, padding sharp table edges and tucking away electrical cords.
Older children who participate in contact sports or other activities such as skateboarding, in-line skating and cycling may consider wearing a mouth guard. Mouth guards help to distribute the force of impact from an accident, thereby reducing the risk and severity of dental trauma.
In addition, orthodontic treatment or "braces" can be considered to align upper front teeth which are protruding, to reduce the likelihood of dental injury to these teeth.
